Best Biographies of Rich People (2026): 5 Compared

Fortunes make great stories, and the best biographies of rich people show how the money was made, lost and given away. We compared five biographies by pages, author, publication date and publisher, using only what each listing publishes.

ShelfAnswers earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.

The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Carnegie's Autobiography	9.8/10	Buy
2	Robert Redford: The Biography	9.8/10	Buy
3	Crazy Rich: J&J Dynasty	9.8/10	Buy
4	The King of Oil	9.8/10	Buy
5	Lenny Bruce Autobiography	9.7/10	Buy

1

Carnegie's Autobiography

Andrew Carnegie·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Carnegie's own memoir plus The Gospel of Wealth, 352 pages from steel fortune to philanthropy.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• Written by Carnegie himself
• Includes The Gospel of Wealth
• From a low-wage job to a vast fortune

Cons

• 2006 reissue
• Dated voice of its era
• Focuses on business and giving

2

Robert Redford: The Biography

Michael Feeney Callan·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 608-page biography written with Redford himself, from his papers and hundreds of hours of interviews.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• 608 pages, the longest here
• Written with Redford himself
• Draws on personal papers and interviews

Cons

• 2012 publication
• No publisher stated in listing
• Hollywood, not business wealth

3

Crazy Rich: J&J Dynasty

Jerry Oppenheimer·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 512-page unauthorized biography of the Johnson and Johnson dynasty, from Band-Aids to boardroom scandals.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• 512-page dynasty portrait
• Exclusive on-the-record interviews
• 2014 reprint edition

Cons

• Unauthorized biography
• Family scandal focus
• 2014 publication

4

The King of Oil

Daniel Ammann·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Daniel Ammann's 336-page account of Marc Rich, the billionaire trader who invented the spot oil market.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• 336 pages on a billionaire trader
• Direct interviews with Marc Rich
• 2010 illustrated edition

Cons

• Controversial subject
• 2010 publication
• Oil trading, not family wealth

5

Lenny Bruce Autobiography

Lenny Bruce·9.7/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

The 240-page autobiography of the comedian who widened the boundaries of comedy and free speech.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• 240-page autobiography
• 2016 reprint edition
• Cultural history of comedy

Cons

• Not a wealth story
• 240 pages, shortest here
• 2016 publication

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

More picks to compare

• Rockefeller: Random Reminiscences135-page autobiography of the wealthiest American, published 2021.Check on Amazon
• PEOPLE Dolly Parton Tribute96-page keepsake of the entertainer's life and legacy.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 19 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs the subject’s fit for the keyword, pages and author access, value, and edition details. The Redford biography was written in collaboration with its subject; Carnegie and Lenny Bruce tell their own stories. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best biographies of rich people

Autobiography or biography

Carnegie and Lenny Bruce write in the first person, while Callan writes about Redford with the actor’s own papers and interviews. The King of Oil draws on direct interviews with Marc Rich, and Crazy Rich is an unauthorized biography built on on-the-record interviews.

Industry and era

The five cover steel, oil, health care, film and comedy, from the late 1800s founders of Johnson and Johnson to a 2016 reprint of a comedian’s memoir. For the whole shelf, browse history and biography books or the wider nonfiction lists.

Length and edition

Print length runs 240 pages on the Lenny Bruce autobiography to 608 on the Redford biography. All five are reprint or reissue editions published between 2006 and 2016; check the edition on the listing before buying.

Before you buy

• Check whether it is an autobiography or a biography, and who the author is.
• Compare the print length: 240 to 608 pages here.
• Read the edition and publication date; the newest of the five is the 2016 reprint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which biography is written by its subject?

Carnegie’s Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and the Gospel of Wealth, and How to Talk Dirty and Influence People by Lenny Bruce.

Which is the longest book here?

Robert Redford: The Biography at 608 pages.

Are any of these unauthorized?

Crazy Rich is described as an unauthorized biography of the Johnson and Johnson dynasty.

Still deciding? Our top pickCarnegie's Autobiography

Check price on Amazon

Related lists

See every history and biography list and all nonfiction lists.